84 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



REPORT OF DEPUTY STATE SEALER OF WEIGHTS 



AND MEASURES. 



To the Hon. William T. Guptill, Commissioner of Agriculture: 



I respectfully submit to you my annual report as Deputy 

 State Sealer of Weights and Measures. 



The condition of the scales in use in the cities and towns of 

 the state shows improvement each year. Merchants are re- 

 placing the old type of scales with modern computing scales 

 to a large extent. This tendency we expect will extend to 

 the improved dormant platform scales now on the market. 



The public shows much interest in the enforcement of the 

 law, as is shown by frequent inquiries as to local conditions, 

 especially as to automatic gasoline pumps. We think these 

 pumps should be tested more than once a year, as they are 

 liable to get out of order when in constant use. There has 

 been some complaint of short measure from these gasoline 

 pumps. There is very little doubt but that, in a short time, 

 pumps with a glass measuring chamber will come into general 

 use. Then the operation of the apparatus may be observed. 



There has been some complaint of short weight, but not so 

 much as in former years. Most merchants buy and sell by 

 weight at the present time many commodities formerly sold 

 by measure, for instance, beans, potatoes, spinach, etc., when 

 ordered by the quart or peck, are weighed, not measured. 

 The consumer should know how many pounds he is entitled to, 

 and in order to do this he must become familiar with the stand- 

 ard weight per bushel of the different commodities. 



I have visited eleven counties and interviewed the local 

 sealers and municipal officers as my duties required. In many 

 cases the selectmen have not attended to their duties, and think, 

 after they have appointed some person as sealer, they have 

 done their whole duty, no matter whether the appointee ever 

 tests a scale or not. 



